- The Wild have depth defenseman Zach Bogosian back in the fold against the Blackhawks today, notes The Athletic’s Joe Smith. The 33-year-old has recently logged top-four minutes alongside Jonas Brodin but missed Minnesota’s last two games, both losses, with an undisclosed injury. The Wild are teetering on the edge of playoff contention and realistically need to win out to sniff a chance at making the postseason. Bogosian has actually been quite good for Minnesota since being picked up from the Lightning in an early-season trade, scoring three goals and adding 10 assists for 13 points in 55 games while averaging 18:06 per game, his highest usage and offensive production since 2018-19 with the Sabres. He’s done so with positive possession metrics, too, logging a 50.7 CF% and +3.3 expected rating.
Wild Rumors
Nate Benoit Enters Transfer Portal
- Wild blueliner Nate Benoit is looking for a new school as he has entered the transfer portal. Drafted in the sixth round in 2021 (182nd overall), Benoit only made his college debut this season with the University of North Dakota but was limited to just 19 games and just 8:31 per night. The 21-year-old will undoubtedly be looking to find a program where he can play a more prominent role.
Wild Recall Jesper Wallstedt
It appears the availability of one of Minnesota’s netminders is in question for this afternoon as, according to the AHL’s transactions log, the Wild have recalled goaltender Jesper Wallstedt from AHL Iowa. In a corresponding move, Iowa signed netminder Peyton Jones to a tryout agreement to replace Wallstedt on their roster.
The 21-year-old is widely considered as one of the stronger goalie prospects league-wide although his NHL debut back in January didn’t go too well as he allowed seven goals on 34 shots in a loss to Dallas. However, Wallstedt has fared well in the minors, posting a 2.76 GAA and a .908 SV% in 43 starts at that level this season. He has one year left after this one on his entry-level deal, one that carries an AAV of $925K.
Assuming that one of Marc-Andre Fleury or Filip Gustavsson is unavailable against Winnipeg, Wallstedt’s recall can be classified as an emergency promotion and thus not count against Minnesota’s four recall limit. However, Wallstedt would have to be returned to the minors as soon as the emergency conditions end.
Wild Sign Goaltender Samuel Hlavaj To Two-Year Deal
The Minnesota Wild have signed goaltender Samuel Hlavaj to a two-year, entry-level contract (Twitter link). Hlavaj served as the starting netminder for HC Plzeň of the Czechia Extraliga last season, after spending 2021 and 2022 with HC Slovan organization in Slovakia. With this deal, Hlavaj will return to America for the second time – after spending three years in the USHL and QMJHL between 2018 and 2021.
Hlavaj manned the net behind a HC Plzeň team that ranked third-to-last in the league this season with just 14 wins on the year. That meant tall orders for Hlavaj, who posted a measly 8-20-0 record and lost both playoff appearances. He wasn’t supported much by the skaters in front of him, with the HC Plzeň roster scoring the fifth-fewest goals in the league and allowing the fourth-most. Nonetheless, this season marked Hlavaj’s fourth-straight losing season, with his 2019-20 QMJHL season marking his last time on the positive side of the win column. He only lost five times that season, posting a 33-3-2 record and .915 save percentage in 39 games.
Minnesota bolsters the Iowa Wild’s goaltending room with this move, giving the team some certainty behind top prospect Jesper Wallstedt. Zane McIntyre has served as Wallstedt’s de facto backup this season, but he’s managed a meager .879 save percentage and 3-13-3 record. His missteps aren’t being made up for by Hunter Jones or Peyton Jones, with neither goalie recording a win in their spot starts. Hlavaj will add competition, and push for an AHL starting role when Wallstedt inevitably moves to the NHL.
Wild Still In The Mix For Collin Graf
Winger Collin Graf is widely expected to sign his first professional contract in the coming days. Regarded as one of the top college free agents available, most of the league had made inquiries and he’s in the process of whittling down his list. To that end, Mollie Walker of the New York Post reports (Twitter link) that the Rangers are no longer in the mix for the 21-year-old. Meanwhile, The Athletic’s Michael Russo adds (Twitter link) that the Wild are believed to still have a chance at signing him. Graf is coming off another strong season at Quinnipiac where he recorded 22 goals and 27 assists in 34 games. Wherever he signs, it’s quite likely he burns the first season of his entry-level deal this year; he’d be eligible to play down the stretch in the regular season but not in the playoffs.
Wild Prospect Charlie Stramel Enters NCAA Transfer Portal
Transfer season has arrived in the NCAA with several players applying for transfers daily. Among the list of players who entered today is Wild prospect Charlie Stramel, per Brad Elliott Schlossman of the Grand Forks Herald.
The 19-year-old was a first-round pick by Minnesota back in June, going 21st overall. Stramel had a successful run in the U.S. National Team Development Program and then went to college for the 2022-23 campaign. He had a quiet year offensively in 2022-23 but that is often the case for freshmen. With a sound defensive game, the hope was that the offense would come along, making him a viable two-way threat and someone the Wild hope will be part of their long-term core.
However, things didn’t go quite according to plan this past season. After putting up a dozen points in 33 games in 2022-23, they actually went down in his sophomore year as Stramel had just three goals and five assists in 34 contests and he wound up spending a good chunk of the year on the fourth line. That’s not the type of progression Stramel or the Wild were hoping to see.
Now, Stramel will seek out a new place to play and a program where he will have a better opportunity to develop as a prospect. Oddly enough, Max Olson and Michael Russo of The Athletic relay (subscription link) that Stramel has made it known that he doesn’t want to be contacted by schools. Whether that means that he has a place to play in mind or if he wants to do his own research and then reach out to other programs remains to be seen. Either way, wherever Stramel lands, expectations will be considerably higher for a player already halfway through his college career.
Charlie Stramel Considering Entering The Transfer Portal
Mike McIntyre of The Winnipeg Free Press is reporting that Winnipeg Jets forward Tyler Toffoli won’t dress tonight when the Jets take on the Los Angeles Kings. Toffoli missed practice this morning and was dealing with an illness according to Jets head coach Rick Bowness. Another game-time decision, Cole Perfetti will dress and could slide in alongside Sean Monahan and Kyle Connor. Since joining the Jets at the trade deadline, the 31-year-old Toffoli has posted four goals and two assists in 11 games. Perfetti on the other hand has 15 goals and 17 assists in 66 games this season.
In other Central Division notes:
- Colorado Avalanche defenseman Sean Walker is in the lineup tonight against the Columbus Blue Jackets after he was deemed questionable on Saturday. The 29-year-old played just 11:15 two nights ago against the Nashville Predators because of an upper-body injury but doesn’t appear to be feeling any ill effects tonight. Walker was also a trade deadline acquisition and has three goals and one assist in ten games since joining the Avalanche.
- Joe Smith and Michael Russo of The Athletic are reporting that Minnesota Wild prospect Charlie Stramel is considering entering the transfer portal now that his season is over with the University of Wisconsin. The 2023 first-round pick has struggled with the Badgers and posted just three goals and five assists in 34 games this season. A league source has said that Stramel likely isn’t thrilled with his development, and it sure seems plausible given that he saw very little time on specialty teams and was relegated to fourth-line duty for much of the season.
- Scott Powers of The Athletic is reporting that Chicago Blackhawks Colin Blackwell and Nikita Zaitsev are back at practice today. The 31-year-old Blackwell has missed the last five games as he’s been dealing with an upper-body injury. The center has eight goals and four assists in 39 games this year. Zaitsev will also be a game-time decision tomorrow and he too has been dealing with an upper-body injury. The veteran defenseman has just two goals and five assists in 36 games this season and hasn’t played since March 28th against the Ottawa Senators.
Ryan Hartman Suspended Three Games
The NHL Department of Player Safety has announced that they’ve handed out a three-game suspension for unsportsmanlike conduct to Minnesota Wild forward Ryan Hartman. The ban is the second suspension handed out to Hartman this season and the fourth of his NHL career. He has also been fined seven times.
The incident happened in overtime during a Minnesota loss to the Vegas Golden Knights. On the play, Golden Knights forward Jonathan Marchessault scored into an empty net (meaning Minnesota received no points despite losing in overtime) and Hartman was seen screaming from the bench and throwing his stick in the direction of the officials. The video shows that Hartman nearly hit teammate Matt Boldy with the stick. For his actions in the game, Hartman was assessed a ten-minute misconduct for abusive language and the three-game suspension that was handed out today.
Hartman said that he didn’t intend to hurt anyone when he tossed his stick, and the league considered this when handing out their discipline as well as also factoring in Hartman’s lengthy record when it comes to supplemental discipline.
Hartman’s absence will certainly hurt the Wild’s very slim chances at a playoff spot, the 29-year-old has 19 goals and 23 assists in 68 games this season. Minnesota’s season is hanging on by a thread as they currently sit seven points behind the Los Angeles Kings for the final wild-card spot in the Western Conference with a 35-28-10 record.
Wild’s Liam Ohgren To Finish Season In AHL
Top Wild forward prospect Liam Öhgren has arrived in North America and will be assigned to finish the season with AHL Iowa in the coming days, Michael Russo of The Athletic reports.
Öhgren, 20, was the 19th overall selection in the 2022 draft and is a consensus top-three prospect in the Minnesota system alongside netminder Jesper Wallstedt and Russian winger Danila Yurov. He signed his entry-level contract shortly after being drafted but has been loaned out to the Swedish pro circuit in back-to-back seasons, sliding the start of the deal to 2024-25.
This season was Öhgren’s first playing full-time in the top-level Swedish Hockey League, although injuries limited him to 26 games with Färjestad BK. His season came to an end last week after they were swept in the SHL quarterfinals by Rögle. The gifted sniper put his talents on full display, scoring 12 goals and 19 points, ranking second on the team in goals per game. He was one of the most explosive scorers in junior hockey during his draft season, lighting the lamp 33 times in 30 games with Djůrgardens’ U-20 club.
In all likelihood, the Stockholm native has played his last game in Sweden. He’ll likely start next season with Iowa to become more acclimated to the North American game, especially after missing such a large chunk of 2023-24, but he is a sure bet to at least see a handful of NHL contests. He’s unlikely to see any postseason action with Iowa to close out this year, as they’re seven points out of a playoff spot in the AHL’s Central Division with eight games remaining. His ELC will expire in 2027.
Ryan Hartman To Have Player Safety Hearing
Wild forward Ryan Hartman has already been suspended once this season and a second may be coming his way. The league announced that will have a phone hearing with the Department of Player Safety on Monday for unsportsmanlike conduct at the end of Saturday’s overtime loss to Vegas.
After Jonathan Marchessault scored with 90 seconds left in overtime into the empty net (meaning Minnesota didn’t receive a point despite losing in extra time), Hartman was yelling from the bench and reportedly threw his stick in the officials’ direction. Hartman was given a ten-minute misconduct for abusive language on the play.
As Michael Russo of The Athletic points out (subscription link), Hartman’s reported actions fall within the parameters of Rule 40.4 which would constitute an automatic three-game suspension at a minimum. The full wording of that rule is as follows:
Any player who, by his actions, physically demeans an official or physically threatens an official by (but not limited to) throwing a stick or any other piece of equipment or object at or in the general direction of an official, shooting the puck at or in the general direction of an official, spitting at or in the general direction of an official, or who deliberately applies physical force to an official solely for the purpose of getting free of such an official during or immediately following an altercation shall be suspended for not less than three (3) games.
It’s unclear if the hearing intends to determine if there is sufficient evidence to give Hartman a three-game ban or if they won’t apply that interpretation.
Hartman has been suspended three times in his career and fined on seven other occasions. If a suspension is levied, he will be considered as a repeat offender which carries a higher level of forfeited salary. For a repeat offender, the divisor in the calculation is 82 while for those who aren’t, the divisor is the number of days in the season. For example, the hypothetical three-game suspension under that rule would cost a repeat offender 3/82 of their AAV while a non-repeat offender would lose 3/192 of their AAV.